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Interesting article. As a [retired] engineer, I've always focused on the practical in everything, and I always wanted to understand how everything worked. I never got involved in philosophy because it always led to endless discussions and no agreement with anyone I discussed philosophy with. :)

However, as my faith in God grew, something else came up as "First Principle" (or "Core Belief", as you define those in your quote below.)

"Love God and enjoy Him forever." (which would certainly begin to define all my Core Beliefs, to be in line with God's) OR

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth." (which, along with the rest of Genesis 1-3, would be how I build my understanding of the world.)

From these two, one can easily discern where people I meet are coming from and answer the question "why evil" and be a foundation for keeping my life and priorities in check.

Your definitions:

A first principle should be the most basic idea on which you build your understanding of the world. Core beliefs, moral principles and personal directives are the guides to help you live in it.

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The most important thing, Harry, the reason I wrote the post is to do this sort of thinking. I think it is essential to understand ourselves and our place in the world, especially if we want to change it. I also believe that the root of our problems in the present is the lack of it.

Thanks for your comment.

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